Romney's weak 'not elegantly stated' defence to 'shocking Obama dependants' remarks

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney held a hastily arranged press conference to defend his remarks made against President Barack Obama and Americans in a leaked video, conceding they were not 'elegantly stated'.

A video of Romney has surfaced, first printed in the liberal magazine Mother Jones, where he described 47 percent of the country as 'dependent upon the government'.

According to Politico, Romney said the video did not fully capture his views or his entire comments about personal responsibility and the role of government in society.

"I am talking about a political process of drawing people in my campaign... My campaign is about helping people take more responsibility," Romney said.

"This is ultimately a question about the direction of the country. Do you believe in a government-centered society that provides more and more benefits, or do you believe instead in a free-enterprise society where people are able to pursue their dreams?" the report quoted Romney, as saying.

In the leaked video, Romney had described 47 percent of voters as non-taxpayers so dependent on government services that they're bound to vote for President Barack Obama in November.

"There are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it," Romney said.

Mother Jones posted the video on its website on Monday, and while vouching for the authenticity, initially refused to name the location of the event or provide a date when it occurred, saying only that it was after Romney secured the GOP nomination.

The video was quickly rebuked by Obama's campaign, which called it 'shocking' that he described half of the Americans in such unflattering terms. (ANI)